Machine for opening hinged closure members on containers



1951 E J. NORDQUIST 7 R. MACHINE FOR OPENING HINGED CLOSURE MEMBERS ON CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 31, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

EON/4L0 5.1 NOEDOU/S) ATTORNEY Oct 9, 19 R. E. J. NORDQUIST MACHINE FOR OPENING HINGED CLOSURE MEMBERS ON CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 31, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

FUN/M0 E J. A/OfflQU/ST 1951 R. E. J. NORDQUIST 7 57 MACHINE FOR OPENING HINGED CLOSURE MEMBERS ON CONTAINERS Filed Jan. 51, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR.

EON/1L0 15 \Z IVOIQDQU/ST /ZM 34M OZMM A TTOE/VEY Patented Oct. 9, 1951 MACHINE FOR OPENING HINGED CLOSURE MEMBERS N CONTAINERS Ronald E. J. Nordquist, Maplewood, N. J., as-

signor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 31, 1950, Serial No. 141,538

8 Claims.

The present invention relates to a machine for opening or loosening closure members on containers and has particular reference to devices for opening closure members which are crimped over a projecting. ledge of the containers. This is an improvement on the machine disclosed in United States Patent 2,420,642 issued May 20, 1947, to August E. Almgren on Treating Machine for Opening Hinged Closure Members on Containers.

In the manufacture of fibre containers for milk and certain other liquid products, considerable care is taken to maintain the containers in a sterile condition. Toward this end the completed containers before shipment to the dairy for filling are sterilized and their closure members closed and sealed to protect the interior of the containers against contamination during shipment and handling. To insure against inadvertent opening of the closure members during shipment and handling of the containers, the protecting lips or flanges of the closure members are crimped under the projecting ledge of the containers. This crimped lip or flange causes some difficulty in opening the closure members immediately prior to filling the containers at the dairy.

The instant invention contemplates overcoming this difjculty by the provision of devices for loosening or releasing the orimped lips of the. closure members from the containers to facilitate complete, opening of the closure members.

An object of the invention is the provision in a machine for opening closure members on containers, of decrimping or unsealing devices wherein crimped-over edges of the closure members may be readily loosened, unfolded and released from the containers to permit easy opening of the closure members and to prevent distortion or other injury to the closure members during the opening operation.

Another object is the provision of such decrimping devices which are adapted to automatic high speed operation so that the usual handling of the containers through filling machines will be unimpaired.

Numerous other objects and advantagesof the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figural is a front elevation of a container opening machine embodying the present invention with parts'brokenaway;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical section taken through that part of the machine shown at the left in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional View taken substantially along the line 33 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the upper end of a container to be opened in the machine shown in the drawings; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are part elevational and part sectional view taken substantially along a vertical plane indicated by the line 5-5 in Fig. 2,

with parts broken away, the two' views showing container A illustrated in Fig. 4 is similar to that disclosed in United States Patent 2,085,979 issued July 6, 1937, to John M. Hothersall on Container. This container comprises a rectangular shaped body B (Fig. 4) having itsupper 'end formed with an inwardly extending tapered bead or neck C terminating in an outwardly project- 1 ing flange which envelopes a marginal portion of a flat top member or disc E forming withthe latter a projecting ledge D.

The top member E i formed, in one corner thereof, with a filling and dispensing opening which is sealed by a friction plug closuremember F hingedly secured by a Wire staple G to the container top member E. 'I'he'closure member F is formed with an outer lip or flangeI-I which extends over the ledge D of the container along portions of two adjacent and converging sides thereof and which preferably is bent inwardly or crimped under the ledgeD during 'the manufacture of the container to maintain the closure member F in a closed position during shipment and storage to insure against contamination of the sterile interior of the container.

The closure member F remains in the closed position from the time the container is finished at the factory until immediately prior to the filling of the container at the dairy at which time the crimped-under lip H is pried loose and the closure member is hinged'open to gain access to the interiorof the container." It is to the loosening: or unsealing of the crimped-in lip H tl'iatthe instant invention is particularly directed.

Reference should be had to the above mentioned Almgren Patent 2,420,642 for a detailed description and explanation of the machine, principal parts of which are herein illustrated, for opening the closure members F of the containers A. In this machine, the containers A are received in a horizontal position, with their top members E facing inwardly and with their closure members F extending upwardly as shown in Fig. 2 in alignment with the decrimping devices hereinafter described. In this position of a container, its closure member F is gripped by a suction cup I I (Fig. 2) and held stationary. While the closure member is so gripped, the container is swun downwardly into a vertical position as shown at the right in Fig. 1, and thus the closure member F is opened by this swinging action of the container while at the same time the container is brought into filling position. This swinging of the container is effected whil it is carried through a circular path of travel. The release or prying loose of the crimped lip H of the closure member is effected while the container is in its horizontal position as will be hereinafter explained.

The suction cup N (Fig. 2) for gripping the closure member F of a container A is carried on a rotatable turret |2 (see also Fig. 1) which is mounted on a column 3 of a frame 4 which constitutes the main frame of the machine. The turret is rotated in any suitable manner as disclosed in the above mentioned Almgren patent. The containers A are received in their horizontal position as explained above, adjacent the suction cup II, in a carriage or cradle IE (Figs. 1 and 2) which at its inner end is carried on a pair of pivot pins ll secured in a pair of lugs l8 which depend from the turret |2. Adjacent the pivot pins ll, the cradle carries a, cam roller l9 which operates in a groove 2| of a stationary cam 22 secured to the frame l4. The cradle I6 projects into a curved runway 24 defined by a plurality of curved guide rails 25 disposed adjacent the outer periphery of the turret |2.

The cradle I6 is in a horizontal position as shown in Fig. 2, when it receives its container A and as th cradle moves forward it temporarily remains in this horizontal position until clear of the usual container feed-in devices. It is during this period in the cycle of operation of the machine that the lip H of the closure member F is pried loose to facilitate opening of the closure member.

The prying loose of the lip H is eifected preferably by a pair of slender fingers 3| (Figs. 3, and 6) which are disposed on opposite sides of the suction cup I I and which are aligned with the lower face of the flange or ledge D of the container disposed in its cradle I6. These fingers 3| preferably are formed on and project inwardly from a pair of toggle lever arms 32 which extend up adjacent an outer vertical peripheral wall section secured to the turret wall section 33 retains the toggle lever arms 32 in place against displacement from the pivot pin 34 and the control pins 4|.

The toggle lever arm actuating cam 39 is formed in such a manner as to lift and immediately lower the cam roller 31 during the period of the cycle of operation of the machine that the cradle H5 is moving in its horizontal position as mentioned above. On the up stroke of the cam roller 31, it lifts the pivot pin 34 and the toggle lever arms 32 from the position shown in Fig; 5 to that shown in Fig. 6. During this lifting of the toggle lever arms, the cam slots 42 slide inwardly on the stationary control pins 4| and this moves the fingers 3| inwardly toward each other.

In effecting this inward movement, the slender ends of the fingers 3| travel along the outer side walls of the container A disposed in the cradle l6 and held by the suction cup H, and engage under the crimped-in lip H and pry the lip loose from opposite sides thereof as the fingers continue to move inwardly. At the completion of the prying operation, the fingers 3| are disposed as shown in Fig. 6 and the lip H is loosened or pried out to an extent at least in alignment with the outer edge of the container flange or ledge D as shown in Fig. 6.

Following this lip prying operation, the cam roller 31 immediately moves down into its original position and thus spreads the toggle lever arms 32 apart as shown in Fig. 5. This action forces the fingers 3| outwardly and withdraws them from the container and thus completes the lip prying operation. As soon as the fingers 3| are free of the container, the latter starts its downward travel into a Vertical position to open the closure member F as disclosed in the Almgren patent above mentioned. With such a construction of lip prying devices the lip H is protected against damage during the closure member opening operation so that the lip may be used again, after the container is filled, to lock the closure member in place during shipment of the container to the consumer.

It should be understood that the application of the lip prying device to the above mentioned mathat various changes may be made in the form,

33 of the turret |2. At their upper ends, both of these toggle lever arms 32 are mounted on a single pivot pin 34 which is secured in a slide block 35 carried in a vertical slideway 36 formed in the turret wall section 33. The inner end of the pivot pin 34 carries a cam roller 31 which operates in a cam groove 38 of a stationary barrel cam 39 on the frame l4. This cam actuates the fingers 3| as will be hereinafter explained.

Control of the fingers 3| during their movement is effected by a pair of stationary pins 4| which are secured in the turret wall section 33. These pins operate in curved cam slots 42 (Figs; 5 and 6) formed in the toggle lever arms 32 intermediate the endsof the arms. A face plate 43 construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. In a machine for opening closure members having a flexible portion crimped over a projection of a container, the combination of a support for said container, a reciprocable mounting disposed adjacent said support, a finger carried on said mounting and insertable between said crimped portion of the closure member and said projection on said supported container, and means for'bodily reciprocating said mounting to insert the finger between said crimped portion and 'said projection and to move it along therebetween for prying said portion loose from said container projection.

2. In a machine for opening closure members having a portion crimped over a projection of a container, the combination of a wall section, a support for a said container, a bodily movable mounting on said wall section adjacent said support, a finger movably carried by said mounting and projecting toward the crimped portion of the closure member on said supported container, and means for bodily moving said mounting on said wall section and said finger relative thereto for inserting the finger under said crimped portion to pry said portion loose from the container while said closure member is temporarily held in closed position to facilitate subsequent opening of said closure member.

3. In a machine for opening closure members having a portion crimped over a projection of a container, the combination of a support for a said container, a mounting slidably carried adjacent said support, a finger pivotally secured on said mounting and projecting toward the crimped portion of the closure member on said supported container, and means for slidably moving said mounting to pivotally move said finger relative thereto for inserting the finger under said crimped portion for prying said portion loose from the container while said closure member is temporarily held in closed position to facilitate subsequent opening of said closure member.

4. In a machine for opening closure members having a flexible portion crimped over a projection of a container, the combination of a support for said container, means for gripping the closure member on a supported container and for temporarily maintaining said member in closed position, a finger reciprocably mounted adjacent said support and projecting toward the crimped portion of the closure member, means for re ciprocating said finger to insert the finger under and to move it along said crimped portion for prying said portion loose from the container to facilitate subsequent opening of said closure member, and means for relatively moving said container and gripping means to completely open the closure member.

5. In a machine for opening closure members having a portion crimped over a projecting ledge of a container, the combination of a support for a said container, an arm disposed adjacent said support, said arm adjacent one end having a finger projecting toward and in alignment with the crimped portion of the closure member on said supported container, said arm adjacent its opposite end being movable relative to said container for moving said finger, and guide means operable on said arm for guiding said moving finger into position under and along said crimped portion of the closure member for prying said portion loose from th container to facilitate opening of said closure member.

6. In a machine for opening closure members having a portion crimped over a projecting ledge of a container, the combination of a support for a said container, a slide movable relative to said support, cam means for actuating said slide, an arm disposed between said slide and said support and having one end mounted pivotally on said slide, said arm at its opposite end having a finger projecting toward and in alignment with the crimped portion of the closure member on said supported container, and guide means operable on said arm intermediate its ends for guiding said finger into position under and along said crimped portion of the closure member for prying said portion loose from the container to facilitate opening of said closure member.

'7. In a machine for opening closure members having a flexible portion crimped over a projection of a container, the combination of a support for a said container, means for gripping the closure member on a supported container and for temporarily maintaining said member in closed position, a finger projecting toward the crimped portion of the closure member on said supported container, said finger being insertable between said crimped portion and said projection and movable along said crimped portion for prying said portion loose from said projection while said closure member is temporarily held in closed position, to facilitate subsequent opening of said closure member, and means for relatively moving said container and gripping means to fully open said closure member.

8. In a machine for opening closure members having a flange portion crimped over a projecting ledge of a container, the combination of a support for a said container, a pair of toggle lever arms disposed adjacent said support, said arms adjacent their outer ends being connected together pivotally, said arms adjacent their inner ends having oppositely disposed fingers projecting toward and in alignment with opposite sides of the crimped portion of the closure member on said supported container, actuating means for moving said toggle lever arms in unison at their pivotally connected ends, and guide means operable on said arms for guiding the fingers on said moving arms into position under and along said crimped portion of the closure member in opposing directions for prying said portion loose from the container to facilitate opening of said closure member.

RONALD E. J. NORDQUIST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,240,657 Bolick Sept. 18, 1917 1,600,675 Kaye Sept. 21, 1926 1,605,560 Plass Nov. 2, 1926 1,862,479 Gasper June: 7, 1932 2,420,642 Almgren I- May 20, 1947 

